What friends are for
by Scottylass
Summary: When Calleigh's father dies suddenly,Eric is there to support and comfort her. My first fanfic here so please be nice when reviewingenjoy.
1. Chapter 1

_This is my first attempt at a fan fic on this site. I started another on livejournal under the name jingo74 but this one wouldn't let go until I finished it. I own nothing you recognize. I hope you enjoy it. There is a slight spoiler for "Born to kill" if you haven't seen it. E/C all the way. This is unbeta'd so all mistakes are mine._

**"What friends are for"**

Calleigh Duquesne groaned as she reached for the phone. Calls at 4 in the morning were never good news._"Duquesne"_ she snapped, sitting up as the voice on

the other end explained the reason for this early morning wake-up._ "I'll be right there"_ she said in a shaky voice and hung up.

The drive to the morgue was quick, traffic at that time of day was light and for that Calleigh was grateful. After parking in her usual space, she made her way

down to the morgue where a body was waiting for her identification. In her career, Calleigh had seen lots of dead bodies but this one was different-this was her

father.

_ "Hey Calleigh, I'm really sorry about this"_ stammered the night shift M.E, Chris Patterson. _"Thanks Chris, let's just get this over with"_ she replied.

Chris pulled back the sheet covering the body and Calleigh gasped _"Oh Daddy, you shouldn't be h_ere_"_ she whispered, _"what happened?"_

_"It looks like a heart attack, I'll know more when the autopsy is complete. I'll call you later with the results_._"_

Calleigh thanked Chris and made her way out of the lab for some fresh air. After collecting her thoughts, she called Horatio to let him know what had

happened and to ask for a few days off to settle Duke's affairs. After reassuring her that she could take all the time she needed, Horatio said that he would

inform the rest of the team.

After arriving home Calleigh put on a pot of coffee and started the round of phone calls that would take the rest of the day. By the time she had spoken to

her brothers, her mother and various other relatives, chosen a funeral home and arranged to have her father's body flown back to Louisiana for cremation, it

was after 6pm and all she wanted to do was sleep. She was just drifting off when there was a knock at the door_ "Eric, what are you doing here_?_"_ she asked

in surprise. Her friend shrugged and stepped forward _"H told me what happened and I wanted to make sure you were ok"_ Before he could say anything

else, Calleigh was in his arms crying into his warm embrace. He held her tightly and whispered words of comfort as she released all of the emotion that had

been building all day. After a few minutes she realised that they were still standing in the doorway._ "Oh Eric I'm sorry I got your shirt all wet"_ she glanced up

at him with such sad eyes that he felt his heart might break. _**"**Hey, don't worry about it Cal. That's what friends are for, right_?_"_ The tall, handsome Cuban

smiled and stepped into the apartment. It had been a while since he was there last. Things had been tense between them since Jake's PDA at the lab and they

had hardly spoken unless it was about a case. They had always been able to talk about anything, they were partners and best friends but now it was just

awkward.

_"Can I get you something to drink, Eric_?_"_ Calleigh's southern belle personality was never far away even in the midst of a personal tragedy and Eric

couldn't help but smile at her. She looked at him questioningly but he just shook his head and reached out to brush a strand of hair away from her face. Calleigh

stepped back and ran her fingers through her long blonde hair. _"I'm fine Eric"_ she said in a quiet voice _"You don't need to worry about me" _ Eric knew she

was lying, sometimes he knew her better than she knew herself. _"Calleigh you don't have to be strong around me. Let me help you"_ he implored _"Let me _

_be your friend" _

He reached out to her and gently touched her cheek. She put her hand on top of his and turned so her lips touched his palm, he gasped at her touch and

pulled her into his arms. They stood like that for a long time just holding each other, no words were spoken. Calleigh relaxed in his embrace and listened to the

rhythmic beating of his heart. She felt safe in his arms, loved, needed, wanted -all the things she had never felt with anyone else.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

_I still own nothing you_ _recognize.Thanks to all who reviewed-you guys rock!!!_

Eric reluctantly broke the silence _"Better?"_ he asked. Calleigh sighed _"No, but I will be"_ and moved out of his embrace_."Have you eaten today?"_ he

asked with a smile as her stomach growled loudly. Her face turned pink and she laughed _"You know, I don't remember the last time I ate"_ she admitted.

_"Well then, chinese or pizza? My treat"_ suggested Eric whose stomach also growled._"Pizza, there's a menu from "Frank's" on the fridge-if you'll _

_order I'm going to take a shower, ok?"_ Eric nodded in agreement _"Deal, the special __still_ _your favorite?"_ Calleigh smiled and nodded to indicate her

approval and went into the bathroom. Twenty minutes later Calleigh emerged from the bathroom wearing cotton pajama pants and a tank top, her hair

pulled up in a messy ponytail. Eric couldn't help but think how beautiful she looked even dressed as casually as she was now. He cleared his throat and she

looked at him with one eyebrow raised in question. _"Pizza will be here in about thirty __minutes" "Great, do you want to watch a movie or something? _

_I need __a distraction."_ Eric could think of a few things to distract her but he didn't think she would appreciate any of them right now and he didn't want to

explain a gunshot wound to Horatio. So instead he agreed with her suggestion _"Yeah, a __movie sound great but please no chick flicks"_ Calleigh just rolled

her eyes at him. _"Goodfella's work for you Eric?" "Of course, Bullet Girl and her __shoot_ _'em up movies. I should have known"_ he replied earning him

a smack on the arm. The movie started and they sat together on the couch, Calleigh curled up on one end, Eric stretched out on the other end. A few

minutes later the pizza arrived and Eric paused the action to get napkins and drinks. _"You __don't have to do that"_ Calleigh protested _"This is my house, let _

_me"_ Eric smiled at her _"Look Cal, you've had a rough day, just relax and let me __take_ _care you."_ Calleigh stared at him as he walked into the kitchen

_"You are a good __friend Eric, even though things have been wierd lately with the __whole_ _Jake thing you still want to take care of me."_ Eric tensed at

the mention of Jake's name and he made himself relax so Calleigh wouldn't notice. He took a breath and returned to the couch _"Hey just because we _

_haven't talked __lately doesn't mean we're not friends and the whole "Jake thing" as __you called it, well I just...I just want you to be happy and if it's _

_with him then __so be it. Regardless of who you're ever with Calleigh, I'll always take __care of you, you_ _should know that by now."_ Eric handed her a

napkin and an open beer _"Come on, you need to eat"_ They ate in silence watching the movie but Calleigh couldn't focus on the action. She was too busy

replaying Eric's words over and over again in her head, finally she couldn't take it anymore and started to speak.

_"I'm not with Jake"_ she said quietly _"What?"_ Eric asked, a look of confusion on his face. Calleigh spoke louder _"I'm not with Jake. You said you _

_wanted me to be happy even if it was with Jake but I'm not...we're not together."_ Eric was even more confused now _"But I saw him kiss you at the _

_lab_ _and I thought..."_ She shrugged and shook her head _"You thought wrong. He did kiss me but he didn't get the response he was looking for, we _

_fought in_ _the elevator and I told him it just wouldn't work with us anymore-we've both changed too much to go back to the way things used to _

_be."_ Eric smirked_ "I'm sure he took that well"_ he said sarcastically _"Oh yeah, but he'll get over it"_ She scooted closer to him on the couch and looked

at him intently, green eyes searching brown ones gauging his reaction. _"The other reason I gave him for us not being together was that I have feelings _

_for_ _someone else"_ Eric's eyes closed as he took in the possible meaning behind her words _"Cal"_ he whispered _"Shhh"_ she answered putting a finger to

his lips sending shivers through his body for the second time. He opened his eyes to see hers welling with tears again. _"Let me finish. My dad just died _

_Eric and I __finally realised that life is just too short not to live it fully. I know I always said that coworkers shouldn't get involved but when you got _

_shot all these feelings __came out and I was so afraid of losing you, of never having the chance to tell you how I felt about you. Then it seemed too _

_complicated and Jake started __calling again and it was just easier to keep you and I as friends, that way I could still be around you without getting _

_my heart broken but I..."_ she sighed deeply and continued _"I can't just be friends anymore Eric, I want more. I want you."_ she admitted, wiping away

the tears that were threatening to spill. Eric removed her finger from his lips and held her hand tightly against his chest. He released the breath he had been

holding since her confession began._"Wow, you sure know how to blow a guy's mind Cal"_ he smiled at her_ "I guess it's good that I feel the same way _

_about you. I've loved you for a long time __Calleigh and when I saw Jake kiss you I felt like my heart was being ripped out."_ She reached out to him

_"I'm so sorry Eric, I never wanted to hurt you."_ He started to stroke her cheek _"I know, I know. It was just hard for me to see you with someone _

_else, that's why I haven't been aound lately or wanted to talk. Forgive me?" _She leaned in closer and kissed him gently on the lips, moaning when he

deepened the kiss. They kissed until the need to breathe became too great and reluctantly they parted, with their foreheads touching and their faces

flushed. _"I always knew you'd be a great kisser Eric."_ He teased _"I'm great at other things too." "I bet you are Delko."_ she grinned, snuggling into

his chest. He breathed in her scent, relishing the feel of her in his arms. She shifted slightly and her breathing evened out-she had fallen asleep.

Moving slowly, he picked her up and carried her to the bedroom. He laid her on the bed, and after placing a soft kiss on her cheek he turned to leave.

_"Stay"_ she murmured _"Please, hold me"_ He turned back to her and touched her shoulder _"I'll be right back"_ he reassured her _"I'm just going to turn _

_everything off and lock up"_ He returned quickly and stripped down to his boxers and undershirt. Crawling into bed, he pulled her close and

marvelled at how well their bodies fit together, at how natural it felt to hold her like this._ "I'm glad you're staying."_ she whispered _"No place_

_else I'd rather be"_ he replied wrapping his arms even tighter around her _"whatever happens I'm here for you Cal. I love you.Now sleep Baby."_

She sighed _"I love you too Eric."_ Before sleep claimed her she thought of her father and how he had always liked Eric_-'that nice young man'_

and how he would nag her about asking Eric out _"I guess you were right Daddy, I'm just sorry you're not here to share it with me."_ But she knew

in her heart that where ever he was, her father was happy for her because she had found what she had been searching for-love.

TBC? I have some ideas if you want me to continue this. Let me know.


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